1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to agricultural vehicles. More specifically, the present invention concerns a fan shroud assembly that defines a margin of an enclosure for a vehicle cooling assembly and provides a passageway therethrough to receive an exhaust line extending into and out of the enclosure.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many agricultural vehicles, such as a self-propelled vehicle (e.g., a tractor), often include a diesel engine that produces exhaust. Such vehicles are subject to federal emissions regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As is often the case, the relevant regulations are occasionally revised over time, typically requiring that newer vehicles conform to more stringent standards, such as emitting reduced levels of emissions into the environment.
Conventionally, one method of reducing the levels of emissions emitted into the environment involves treating exhaust gases produced by the engine with an exhaust aftertreatment device (EAD). Such a device, often including a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and/or a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device, are generally known in the art to be capable of sufficiently reducing diesel exhaust emissions to comply with newer EPA emission standards for off-road vehicles.
The use of exhaust treatment devices often requires the use of various hoses, tubes, etc., to supply necessary fluids to the devices. In addition, the flow of exhaust gases must be introduced into the device and discharged therefrom, often through exhaust lines that operate at high temperatures. General purpose fan shrouds are also known in the art and are often mounted at an outlet of a fan enclosure to draw a stream of cooling air through an arrangement of one or more heat exchangers to cool various engine components.
Traditionally, any required hoses, tubes, exhaust lines, and the like, have been routed around any shroud body such that efficient airflow is maintained and possible recirculation into the enclosure is reduced. In addition, the materials often used to construct general purpose fan shrouds cannot withstand the high temperatures of the exhaust lines leading to and from an exhaust treatment device. This has led to complex routing arrangements of hoses, tubes, exhaust lines, and the like, which typically requires additional space for efficient operation. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that space within an engine compartment designed to be covered with a hood is often at a premium.